The present invention relates to projectile launchers and, more particularly, to hand-held launchers for the launching of small articles such as toy airplanes, darts, and the like.
Hand-held projectile launchers are probably one of the oldest inventions known in the art. The cavemen used throwing sticks as an extension of the arm for throwing spears with greater force and accuracy than was possible with the naked arm. Thus, the advantages of an elongated member for throwing as an extension of the arm are well-known. While the advantages of such arm extenders are well-known, to-date their benefits have been applied to limited applications. For example, in the throwing of a spear, the arm extender has a notch, or the like, on the free-end into which the end or a mating notch of the spear is inserted to act in the manner of a cupped hand to hold and project the spear. A catapult acts in the same manner wherein the object to be thrown is placed in an open basket, platform, or the like, and upon the catapult being released, the projectile is lifted and pushed forward towards the target.
Two factors emerge from these prior art launching devices. First, the centrifugal force is not utilized. Second, such a device has not been available for smaller projectiles such as toy airplanes, darts, and the like. Typically, such smaller projectiles are launched with a spring or rubber band-type launcher wherein the rubber band is stretched in the direction opposite of the projectile's intended direction with the projectile on that end and releasably attached thereto while the opposite end of the rubber band or spring is held in the hand or otherwise.
Wherefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide a hand-held projectile launcher for such projectiles as toy airplanes, darts and the like which employs the principle of arm extension and utilizes centrifugal force as the primary propelling force.